Dizzy Up The Girl
by Ed Westwicker
Summary: Charlotte Hollister must live with betrayal and losing her friendships along the way because of old family hurt. Rated for violence and language
1. Dizzy

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. It's all JK Rowlings and her genius!

XoXo

Charlotte Hollister was moving through the crowd on Platform Nine and King's Cross Station in Lodon, England. She was looking fervently for the redpheaded Weasley family that she seemed to have misplaced. "Charli! Hurry up!" came a redpheaded boy with copious amounts of freckles and a long nose. Charlotte nodded and ran up to them, her luggage cart in front of her.

"Sorry. I'm sorry . . ." Charlotte started.

"It's all right dearie. Percy was just going through." Mrs. Weasley gestured Oercy through the wall. He walked straight through and completely glanced around the busy train station. She saw a small black-haired boy with striking green eyes.

"Who's that?" whispered Charlotte into Ron's ear. He looked around non-too inconspicuous.

"Where?" he asked louldy. Charlotte pointed her head where the boy had been standing. "There's no one---Oh! Is that him?" Ron asked, staring unabashedly at the black-haired boy.

"Yes!" Charlotte looked back at Mrs. Weasley who was now talking to the small boy, Fred and George had disappeared through the barrier. It was Ron and then Charlotte and then the black-haired boy.

"Hello, dear. Frist time at Hogwarts? Ron and Charlotte are new, too." Mrs. Weasley gestured at Ron and Charlotte. They gave each other a look. The boy piped up again.

"Yes. The thing is--the thing is, I don't know how to--" he stammered. Charlotte raised her eyebrows as she noticed the lightning bolt scar that was emblazoned onto the middle of his forehead. She nudged Ron and pointed at the boys forehead. Ron's eyes widened.

"Not to worry. All you have to do is walk straight through the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best to do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on before Ron and Charlotte." THe boy nodded as Mrs. Weasley pushed him towards the barrier. Charlotte walked up behind him and as soon as he was gone, ran full throttle at the barrier.

Once she made it through, she looked around for Percy, Fred and George. She saw them with the boy, who was struggling with his trunk. They finally got the trunk onto the scarlet train. They gestured her over to put her own luggage in. She gave it to them, but kept her guitar slung over her shoulder. Ron appeared behind her and they started to the train, only to be stopped by Mrs. Weasley. "Ron. You have something on your nose." She grabbed a cloth out of her pocket and started rubbing furiously at his nose.

"Mum!" he cried. The twins and Charlotte could barely contain their laughter.

"Has Ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" George asked, barely able to curtain his laughter. Charlotte giggled loud enough for Ron to shoot her a look.

"Shut up!" he said, his ears turning a fierce red. Mrs. Weasley was twisting her head from the left to the right, obvioulsy looking for someone.

"Where's Percy?" she asked. She hardly even needed to ask because Percy same striding into view with his Hogwarts robes on and Prefect badge perfectly visible.

"Can't stay long, Mother. I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves--" he was interrupted by Fred.

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy? You should have said something, we had no idea." There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, but otherwise he sounded completely serious. Which was a first for him. "Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it. Once--"

"Or twice--"

"A minute--"

"All summer--"

"Oh, shut up!" Percy said, obviously exasperated. He rolled his eyes and walked away from his family. Mrs. Weasley sighed as she saw her oldest son walk away. She turned back to Fred and George, anger evident in her eyes.

"He didn't even say goodbye! Will you two ever grow up and be serious? And you two." Charlotte and Ron's laughter subsided as Mrs. Weasley's anger was turned to them. "You two be good at school. Charlotte, your mother told me to tell you to write as soon as you get to school." Charlotte nodded as Mrs. Weasley sent the both of them off with kisses. She could hear the twins telling Mrs. Weasley who the black-haired boy was. Charlotte gave Ron a wry smile as they boarded th etrain just as the whistle sounded.

"I think you;re family is a bit touched in the head." Charlotte laughed while Ron made a face. Ron looked up and down the compartmentsfor a place to sit. "Look. We can sit with Harry Potter," she sneered as she opened the door and looked down at the boy.

"Would you mind if we sat here?" Ron asked from behind her. The boy shook his head and went right back to staring out th ewindw. Charlotte looked at Ron and shrugged. They sat down and stared at the boy. The compartment door slid open again and Gred and George walked through.

"Hey, Ron," they said trying not to stare at the boy, "hey, Charli."

"Hello. Why'd you come back?" Charlotte asked with a touch of annoyance darkening her voice.

"Touchy are we this fine morning?" Fred said, smiling goofily at her. "Anyway. Harry, have we introduced ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. This is Ron, our brother and Charlotte Hollister, who is like our sister in oh so many ways. See you later, then." The twins briskly walked out of the compartment. Charlotte rolled her eyes and settled into her seat.

"Are you actually Harry Potter?" she blurted out. The boy nodded.

"Why?" Harry asked politely.

"Oh--Well, we thought that Fred and George were just kidding around. Do you really have -- you know . . ." Ron asked shyly, pointing at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his long hair to show them the scar. "So that's where You-Know-Who--?" Charlotte asked unabashedly.

"Yeah, but don't bother asking how it happened. I can't remember anything except for a lot of green light." Harry sighed.

"Wow," Charlotte and Ron sighed. Charlotte pulled a book out of her bag while Ron cintinued to stare at Harry. He only stopped when Charlotte nudged him in the ribs.

"Are both your family's wizards?" Harry asked with complete interest.

"I'm pretty sure. Mum might have a second cousin who's an accountant, but we've never seen him," Ron started.

"Yes. Though of course it's only my Mum and I, so I haven't had a chance to ask my Dad. But she says we're pureblood so . . ." Charlotte stated, talking incredibly fast.

"What was it like to live with Muggles?" Ron asked immediately.

"Ron!" Charlotte gasped. Harry smiled and looked as though he was trying not to laugh.

"It's all right. They were horrible. At least my aunt and uncle and cousin are. I wish I had any wizards in my family." Harry sighed uncontentedly. Ron nodded adn pulled out his fat grey rat.

"Ron. No one wants to see Scabbers." Charlotte tried to grab him from Ron's hand. "All he does is eat and sleep!"

"Maybe he does. This is Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl for being made prefect, but they couldn't aff--I got Scabbers instead." Ron's ears turned pink as soon as he uttered those words. Then Harry went into a lengthy story about how he never really got anything with his Muggle relatives. Charlotte stuck her nose into her book in order not to pay attention to the conversation without seeming rude.

All of a sudden Ron utter a loud gasp. "Ron, what's your deal?" Charlotte asked with an exasperated sigh.

"He! You--You said You-Know-Who's name!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I would've thought you, of all people-"

Harry interrupted with, "I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name,. I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn . . . . I bet, I bet I'm the worst in the class." Charlotte sighed.

"You definitely won't be! There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and every single one of them get the hang of it quickly," This seemed to cheer him up.

"Thanks, Charlotte," he smiled. Charlotte silently congratulated herself for being able to cheer him up. She picked her book back up and delved into it once more. After a time she could hear a woman's voice calling down the rows. Suddenly, a dimpled, kind-looking woman came to their compartment.

"Anything off the trolley?" she smiled at them.

Harry umped up at once while Charlotte and Ron stayed behind. Ron was uttering something inaudible and Charlotte wasn't hungry. She stood up and stretched but then sat back down.

"How does it happen that we get the compartment with Harry Potter?" she asked with excitement layered in her voice.

"I don't know. Neither of us have ever really been that lucky have we?" Ron asked, pulling out a bag of smashed sandwiches.

"What is that?" she asked, never having seen Lunch Surprise from Mrs. Weasley. Usually it was something like roast chicken or roast beef. Not sandwiches.

Harry came back with his arms full of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes adn Licorice Wands. "Hungry are you?" Ron and Charlotte asked at the same times.

"Starving," Harry said with a large grin on his face. Ron lifted his package up and looked inside. Charlotte let out a shriek of laughter at the face he was amking. "She always forgets I don't like corned beef." ROn tried to take a bite, but decided he would rather starve.

"Swap you for one of these. Go on--" Harry was holding out a pasty for Ron to take but Ron shook his head in refusal.

"One thing you have to remember about the Weasleys. They never take any charity. Not even food. They're too proud," Charlotte said with a smug smile. This kid is never foing to learn the ropes of these people, she thought. She was satisfied that Ron was her friend and would never even try to become friends with Harry.

"Go on, have a pasty." Harry pushed it at Ron. Ron gave a samll smile and took it from him. Ron and Harry continued to eat their way through the candy and sweets that were laying in a pile. The sandwiches were lying the side, long forgotten. "What are these? They're not really frogs, are they?" Harry asked dumbly.

"Of course not. They have a spell put on them. People only eat them for the cards inside," Charlotte explained.

"See what is, I need Agrippa!" Ron said excitedly.

"Exhibit A!" Charlotte muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"What?" Harry asked with a confused expression on his face. Charlotte put her book down.

"Of course you wouldn't know. Chocolate frogs have cards inside to collect. Famous witches and wizards. He's got about five hundred, except for Agrappa and Ptolemy," Charlotte explained quickly.

"How do you know all that?" Harry asked quietly. Charlotte raised her eyebrows and looked at Ron to explain.

"Charli and I have basically been raised together. Her Mum's in the Ministry and since she isn't home all the time, Charli comes over to our house and just plays around. We're basically brother and sister," Ron said quickly. Charlotte nodded and flicked her long black hair behind her shoulder. Her ice blue eyes pierced into Harry's own green ones. Harry nodded and unwrapped a frog. He looked at the card in complete interest.

"I got Dumbledore!" Harry said with surprise. Charlotte's mouth fell open and Ron gasped.

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore! Could I have a frog? I might get Agrippa--thanks--" Ron said, veering completely off subject! Harry turned the card over and began to read it.

"Boys!" Charlotte muttered.

"He's gone!" Harry gasped, looking at the front fo the card again.

"Well you can't expect him to hang around all day. He'll be back," Charlotte said in a bored tone.

"No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her . . . do you want it? You can start collecting." Ron said, giving Harry the card and letting his eyes fall onto the pile of unopened frogs just waiting for him.

"Help yourself. But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos," Harry said casually.

"Do they?" Charlotte gasped.

"What, they don't move at all?" Ron asked.

"Weird!" they both said, looking at each other with surprised looks. Harry and Ron continued to eat as if there was no tomorrow.

"You can have some too," Harry offered.

"Oh, I don't want any," Charlotte said with a wry smile. Harry shrugged and opened a bag of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. "You want to be careful with those," she warned.

"Yeah, when they say every flavor they mean every flavor!" Ron said.

"You have normal ones like chocolate-"

"And peppermint-"

"And marmalade-"

"But then there's spinach-"

"And liver-"

"And tripe. George even said he got a booger-flavored one!" Ron picked one up and bit the end off of it. "See? Sprouts?" He mournfully put it down and threw one at Charlotte. She caught it in her mouth and chewed happily.

"Yum! Strawberry!" She smiled at Ron while he sulked. A knock came at the door and they all turned to see who it was. It was a round-faced boy who looked perilously close to tears.

"Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all?" They all shook their heads. The boy then wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up," Charlotte comforted.

"Yes. Well, if you see him . . ." the boy said as he left.

"Don't know why he's so bothered. If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk," Ron said glumly.

"He could've died and you wouldn't know the difference!" charlotte said, poking him.

"I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look . . . \" Ron broke off only to rummage through his bag for his wand.

"Fred and George taught it to him, so i wouldn't be surprised if it's not even a real spell," Charlotte sighed and picked up her book again.

"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway-" he raised his wand to do the spell when the round-faced boy came back with a bushy haired girl. She was wearing her new Hogwarts robes and had large front teeth that made her look quite like a beaver.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said in a bossy voice that one would never get used to.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it!" Charlotte said angrily, but the girl wasn't paying any attention to her. She was staring at the wand in Ron's hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it then." She sat down next to Charlotte and looked at him expectantly.

"Er-all right. Sunshine, daises, butter mellow. Turn this stupid fat rat yellow." Ron looked down at Scabbers excitedly, but was downcast when he saw that he was just as grey and fat as ever.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard-I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough-I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" She said this entire sentence in a matter fo thirty seconds. Harry, Ron and Charlotte all looked at each other. Harry looked happy to see that the two of them hadn't memorized their course books.

"Charlotte Hollister, Charlotte said, looking Hermoine over.

"Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," Harry said clearly.

"Are you really? I know all about you, of course-I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise adn Fall of The Dark Arths and Great Wizarding Events of hte Twentieth Century." Hermione said excitedly.

"Am I?" Harry asked in a dazed sort of voice.

"Goodness, didn't you know? I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," Hermione said in the same breathless sort of way. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad . . . . Anyway, we'd better go to look for Neville's toad. You three had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon." She and the round-faced boy briskly left the compartment. THe three of them looked at each other with wide eyes and open mouths.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not!" Charlotte said gruffly as she dug her robes out of her trunk.

"Stupid spell-George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud." Ron glumly threw his wand back into the trunk.

"What house are your brothers in?" Harry asked, obviously not able to decide whether to look at Charlotte or at Ron.

"Gryffindor," Ron said gloomily. "Mum and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin!" Ron looked slightly depressed after the conversation.

"Is that the house Volde-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?" Harry asked Charlotte. She nodded. "What house was your Mum in?"

"Gryffindor. That's the house I think everyone gets in," Charlotte sighed. She looked at ROn who was obviously refusing to talk to the both of them. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I guess you don't get that with the Muggles-someone tried to rob a high security vault!" Charlotte said excitedly. Glad that she had somehting to talk to Harry about. Harry just stared at her.

"Really? What happened to them?" he asked, interested and yet frightened at the same time.

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. Mum says it must've been a powerful Dark Wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it." Charlotte stared at him to see if there was anything betraying his feelings.

"What's your Quidditch team?" ROn finally asked.

"Er-I don't know any," Harry said, looking sheepish.

"What!" Charlotte and ROn exclaimed, looking at each other with wide eyes.

"Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world!" Ron set off into explaining everything he could abotu Quidditch.

"Great. Now he's never going to shut up!" Charlotte growled, rolling her eyes. Harry laughed, btu stepped as soon as the compartment door opened once again. Three boy walked. Two were very squat, but mean looking. The other was pale and had pinched features.

"Is it true? They're saying all down the train taht Harry Potter's in this compartment. So, it's you, is it?" he asked snidely.

"Yes," Harry said warily. His eyes were fixed upon the two large thugs behind the pale boy.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle. And my names Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," the boy said with an air of carelessness. Ron coughed while Carlotte had her back turned and her shoulders were shaking. "Think my names funny do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford. And the Hollisters are known as the only Gryffindors that turned to You-Know-Who willingly." Draco allwoed this to sink in. Charlotte's face turned red and her eyes quickly turned glassy with tears. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He held out his hand, but Harry didn't acknowledge it.

"I think I can tell who teh wrong sort are for myself, thanks." Harry was trying not to let the anger fill his voice.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter. Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You have around with riffraff like the Weasleys and Hollisters and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you." Malfoy said snidely.

"Say that again!" Charlotte said, tear tracts visible on her face and her blue eyes icy.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" sneered Malfoy.

"Unless you get out now!" Harry said bravely.

"But we don;t feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some." Malfoy watched as Goyle reached for a chocolate frog. Ron launched himself forward, but Goyle let out a yell before Ron could lay a hand on him.

Scabbers was dangling off of Goyle's finger. Malfoy stepped back as Goyle swung Scabbers arounda nd around. Scabbers finally let go and hit the window. Malfy, Crabbe and Goyle left at that moment because foot steps were pounding down the train. "What has been going on?" Hermione asked, looking around the compartment.

"I think he's been knocked out," Charlotte said thickly to Ron. He looked at her and gave her a sympathetic smile.

"No-I don't believe it-he's gone back to sleep!" Ron said, flabbergasted. "You've met Malfoy before?" Harry quickly explained.

"I've heard of his family. They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side," Ron said quietly, not looking at Charlotte. "Can we help you with something?" he asked Hermione, noticing that she was watching them.

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us!" Charlotte sniffed, her tears abating.

"WOuld you mind leaving while we change?" ROn asked with a scowl on his face.

"All right-I only came in here because people are outside racing up and down the corridors," Hermione said in a snobby voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, did you know?"

Ron glared as she left and Charlotte went right back to staring out the windown as the boys changed. She soon got bored of that, though and removed the guitar case from above her trunk. She started playing a song and then started to sing.

"They painted up your secrets, with the lies they told to you. And the least they ever gave you, was the most you ever knew. And I wonder where these dreams go, when the world gets in your way. What's the point in all this screaming? No one's listening anyway.

"Your voice is small and fading and your hiding, your unknown. And your mother loves your father, but she;s got no where to go. And she wonders where these dreams go, 'cause the world got in her way. And what's the point in ever thrying? Nothing's changing anyway.

"They press their lips against you, and you love them as they say. And they try so hard to reach you, but you've falle anyway. And you now I see right through you, 'cause the world gets in your way. What's the point in all this screaming? You're not listening anyway." A tear slid down her cheek and she put the guitar awya, only to notice that Harry and Ron were staring at her. "What?"

"Did you write that?" Ron asked. She nodded.

"That was amazing!" Harry said breathlessly. She smiled and nodded her tanks. A voice came from somehwere on the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school seperately."

Charlotte immediately put on a brave face as Ron paled adn stuffed the last of the sweets into his pockets and Harr's face twisted with apparent nerves. The train slowed and then came to an immediate stop. The three of them were jostled adn shoved into the frigid night air. Charlotte gathered her cloaks around her and grabbed ROn;s hand for comfort. He loked at her and gave her a small smile. A lamp came bobbing out from nowhere and a large hairy man followed. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

The large man, (if you could call him that), beamed at Harry from above all of the other trembling first years. "C'mon, follow me-any more firs-years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

They followed the large man up slipery slopes. There was not much talking, most people were concentrating on not falling down and losing the group. The round-faced boy-Neville, kept sniffing. Probably on account of losing his toad yet again.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec." Hagrid called loudly. Most of the first years looked up, but Charlotte kept her head down tryign not to slip and fall down the long slope. "Jus' roudn this bend here.

There was a loud chorus of "Oooooh!"

The path that they had been traveling on opened up to the edge of a wide black lake. A top a mountain on the otherside was a huge castle, it's many windows sparkling from the stars. It had copious amounts of turrets and towers. Charlotte could barely tear her eyes away when Hagrid called.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid was pointing to a fleet of boats on the shore of the lake. Harry, Rona dn Charlotte were followed into their boat by Hermione. Charlotte and Ron rolled their eyes and shared a look of annoyance.

"Everyone in?" Hagrid asked from the front of the fleet of boats. "Right then-FORWARD!"

The boats set off at once, gliding across the glassy black surface of the water. No one was talking, there wasn't even a sprinkling of whispers at the back. THe castle towered over them as the cliff grew nearer and nearer. "Heads down!" Hagrid yelled as they neared an ivy covered opening on the cliff face. They went through a dark tunnel that seemed to go one forever. They were going straight under the castle. They finally reached an underground harbor, where everyone jumped out of their boats, eager to get into the warm castle.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" Hagrid asked from the boat Neville was sitting in.

"Trevor!" Neville said from behind Charlotte. He scooped his toad up and then clambered up teh passageway after Hagrid. They came to smooth, dark gras that was right at the castle.

They walked up some stone steps and stood in front fo the oak door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid raised a huge fist and brought it down three times on the door.

XoXo

A/N: I hope you liked it. I would love reviews, I don't care if I get flames or not! 


	2. Slide

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except for my ideas and Charlotte. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling and her genius. The lyrics are the Goo Goo Dolls.**

XoXo

As soon as the third knock sounded, the doors swing wide open. A tall, thin, tight-lipped witch with emerald green robes and hair that was swept back into a tight bun. Charlotte silently told herself to not make this woman angry. Ever.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said with a large smile.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." Professor McGonagall shepherded the first years into a large hall. There were flaming torches that light the hallway. The ceiling was much to high for anyone other than Hagrid to make out. A large marble staircase graced the presence of the great hall. They followed the stern professor across the flagged stone floor. Charlotte could hear the distant drone of hundreds of other students. She turned to the right and the coixes grew louder. Charlotte thought that they must be going in there, but no. They were going into an empty hallway. It was hard to fit all of the first years in there, but somehow they managed it. Charlotte and Ron had gotten split up and Charlotte was no next to Malfoy and his cronies.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall tightly. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family withing Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Charlotte watched as McGonagall's eyes lingered on Ron's nose, Neville's cloak and Harry's hair.

"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."

Charlotte started over to where Ron and Harry were, but a cold hand clasped her wrist. She gasped and swirled around. "You. What do you want?" she asked Malfoy maliciously. "Haven't embarrassed me enough today?"

"Sorry about that, Princess. But I had to make Potter see the error of his ways."

"What? You mean talking to a Weasley and a traitorous Hollister? That's a fine way to make friends at school, don't you think?"

"Well, sure. I mean, wouldn't you rather be friends with good old purebloods than have blood-traitors, mudbloods and half-bloods as friends?"

Charlotte scoffed and stared at him with her ice blue eyes meeting his own steel grey ones. "And you actually believe I would ever be friends with you?" Malfoy nodded with a smirk dancing on his lips. "Well dream on! I would never become friends with a conniving, evil, dirty, scumbag like yourself!" Charlotte's eyes flashed dangerously. She whipped around and found Ron.

"What's up?" Ron asked, his eyes searched her face for answers. She shook her head and looked over at Malfoy. "What were you talking to Malfoy for?"

"Do you really think that I would talk to him willing?" Charlotte growled. Ron shook his head and fell silent when Professor McGonagall walked back in.

"Children! This way! In a single file line!" Professor McGonagall lead the first years into a large room. The ceiling was dark and filled with stars. Candles were lighting the room, just as the torches were outside the Great Hall. There were four long tables where older students were sitting. The tables were covered in golden goblets and plates that were glittering in the candlelight. There was a long table at the foreground of the hall that the teachers were sitting at. Professor McGonagall marched them in front of this table so that they were all facing the students. Charlotte's stomach dropped to her knees when she saw all of the students staring them down. She could hear Hermione whispering, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in _Hogwarts, A History_."

Charlotte glanced back up and stayed looking up there in order to avoid the stares of the hundreds of students. She heard something behind her and saw that she was in front of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

She looked back at McGonagall and saw that she was putting a rickety four-legged stool in front of the first years. Then she put a patched, frayed and dirty pointed hat onto the stool. The hat twitched. A rip opened near the brim of the hat opened like a mouth and it began to sing-

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see, _

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might beloing in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a healty mind,_

_Were those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands(though I have none)_

_For I'm a thinking cap!"_

There was a loud crashing sound as the hall burst into applause when the hat was finished. Charlotte could see Ron whispering into Harry's ear and felt a pang of jealousy. But it was quickly replaced with relief at only having to try the hat on. She cold hear Malfoy sniggering at something behind her. She tried to not pay attention, but it was very hard and Malfoy was very loud. She was quickly snapped back into attention when Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a long piece of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said curtly. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blond pigtails stumbled out of line and put the hat on. It fell right over her eyes. There was a moment's silence and then a loud voice called-

"HUFFLEPUFF!" said the voice from the hat.

A table down at the right was cheering as Hannah Abbott sat down. A fat ghost smiled and waved at her.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat yelled again. Susan ran off to sit next to Hanah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brown, Lavender!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" Cheers erupted form the left and Charlotte saw that the twins were cheering the loudest.

"Bullstrode, Millicent!"

"SLYTHERIN!" Charlotte took a quick glance at the Slytherin table and upon seeing them whispered a silent prayer that she wouldn't be in that house.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Charlotte took notice that the hat took longer on some than on others. Like for, "Finnagan, Seamus!" He was sitting on the stool for almost a minute before he was declared, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Hollister, Charlotte!" McGonagall called. Charlotte's stomach lurched as she stepped up to the stool. She put the hat on and heard a quiet voice in her ear.

"Hm. I see a desire to fight in you. A desire to prove that you are nothing like your nothing and yet you seem different in another way. Ah, you don't want anyone looking down on you. I see. Well, you had better be SLYTHERIN!" the hat called loudly. Charlotte gasped and tore the hat off. She threw it down and ran to the Slytherin table with hot tears filling her eyes.

"Granger, Hermione" was called and was put into Gryffindor. "Longbottom, Neville," another Gryffindor. There was a "MacDougal, Morag," and then "Malfoy, Draco." Charlotte watched as Malfoy slinked up to the stool. He put the head not three inches from his head when it called, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy sat down next to Charlotte, who kept her eyes on the Sorting to keep from letting the tears slip from their restraints and fall down her cheeks. There was "Moon" . . . , "Nott" . . . , "Parkinson" . . . , then two "Patils" . . . , "Perks, Sally-Anne" . . . , and then "Potter, Harry."

"Boo," came a hiss in her ear. She whipped around and stared at Malfoy, her blue eyes icy with hate. "Maybe he'll be lucky to get Slytherin. You were!" Malfoy smiled and looked straight into her eyes.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" she hissed angrily.

"Oooh. Not very happy!" Malfoy stopped only to clap belligerently for Harry when the hat called Gryffindor. "Not very lucky, then. Oh, well! Lucky for us!" Charlotte rolled her eyes but continued to stare at the Sorting. There were only four people left to be Sorted.

"Thomas, Dean," was another Gryffindor while "Turpin, Lisa," was a Ravenclaw. It was Ron's turn. He was a light shade of green by the time his name was called. The hat finally called Gryffindor. Charlotte clapped quietly for him while the Gryffindors whooped and cheered. Finally, "Zabini, Blaise," called and sorted to Slytehrin. Charlotte silently turned around and stared at her plate.

"It can't be that bad, Princess," Malfoy said quietly.

"You don't understand!" Charlotte snapped. "Everyone is going to think that I'm going to join You-Know-Who because now I'm in Slytherin and my mother already proclaimed her love for the Dark Lord!" There. She had said it. Everything that she had been worried about was now pouring out.

"I'm sorry to hear about that, but Dumbledore is speaking!" said a bright-eyed Seventh-year. Charlotte shrugged and looked at the tall man with sparkling blue eyes, spectacles and a crooked nose. His white beard and hair were below his waist.

"Welcome!" he said loudly. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat down with something shy of a grin on his face. Charlotte laughed and looked at the golden platters filled with roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fires, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and peppermint humbugs.

XoXo

Draco Malfoy couldn't take his eyes off of the headstrong, stubborn and fierce girl next to him. She had long, dark almost black hair with blue eyes that could turn icy or warm depending on what she was feeling. Her eyes were basically the conveyors of her emotions. He felt sort of bad for calling her family out, especially when she obviously hated her mum. "Is there a reason you're staring at me?" she asked him coldly.

"Well, you see. Considering I wasn't and I have no idea what you're talking about," Draco said in the same tone. Charlotte nodded and gave him a death glare. Draco piled some food onto his plate. He noticed how Charlotte continued to keep her head down and refused to talk to anyone except for himself. She definitely was a Slytherin but he just had to see if she could come up with any good insults. "I guess you're a bit sore that you're not with you buddy Weasley are you?"

"Shut up Malfoy! What would you know about friendships anyway?! All you have is these two thugs and anyone else you can torture into 'loving' you! Just because I have real friends doesn't mean you can call them out!" she said with obvious distaste. Draco gave a small smile and nodded.

_So, that proves it. Hollister _can _insult people! Good._ Draco thought with a smirk plastered to his face. She obviously would achieve any means, just not with him. He wouldn't be surprised if she hated him for the rest of her life. Oh well. "So, about your family!" Draco said loudly, looking at Charlotte. She looked at him with wide eyes filled with fear. He quickly felt horrible for asking her.

"Yes. I would love to hear this, Miss . . ." said a sixth-year with bad teeth.

"Hollister," Charlotte said indignantly. Draco smirked as the table gasped and leaned forward to hear her story. "Yeah. I'm from the infamous Sylvia Hollister. Who was, in fact, the first and probably only Gryffindor to join You-Know-Who with complete willingness. So, thanks, Malfoy. You've just made my life so much better!" She turned away from him and stared at the big sixth-year that had asked her her name. "You are?"

"Flint. Marcus Flint," he said, shooting her a disgusting smile. She grimaced and Draco smiled at Marcus.

"Seems that Princess is uncomfortable," he said in her ear. Charlotte didn't heed him. She completely ignored him. Draco snapped back into attention and started to put food into his mouth.

"I have one question, Malfoy!" Charlotte asked finally.

"And what is that, Princess?" he countered.

"I was wondering how long you've been training to be a prat? Your whole life or just today?" she said with a small smile. The whole table gasped at her forthrightness.

"You can't talk to me like that!" Draco said with deep surprise.

"Looks like I just did," she said with a smile. He was very surprised at the meanness that she could come out with. She looked up at Dumbledore who had started speaking again.

"Ahem-just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of out older students would do well to remember that as well.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year; the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Draco watched as Charlotte let out a laugh, but seeing that almost no one else did, she stopped. "Is he serious?" she asked him.

"I guess so," he said with an almost straight face.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore cried. Charlotte groaned, along with Draco. She stopped as soon as she saw Draco groaning along.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!" Dumbledore raised his wand and a pink ribbon floated out, twisting itself into the words.

"_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_Four now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot."_

Draco groaned as the Weasley twins were still singing. They could have been done if it wasn't for the twin pranksters! "Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" Dumbledore finally let them go. Draco smiled as Charlotte got up and walked swiftly away, completely ignoring the fact that he was staring at her. He didn't understand how someone as pretty as that could ignore the fact that she was pretty. Crabbe and Goyle sidled up to him, but he ignored them. "Hey, Princess!" he called to her. She looked at him with softened eyes. Something he hadn't noticed in her before.

"What?" she asked quietly. Maybe she had decided not to hate him anymore.

"Just wondered if you wanted to walk with me to the common room," he asked with the same level of quietness. She nodded and he saw something else in her eyes. It was tears and sadness. He had never seen that before. "Is there something wrong?"

"No. I'm good. I was just . . ." she said thickly.

"Oh, come on. You can trust me." Draco smiled as she gave a watery smile back.

"Do you wanna hear something when we get back to the common room?" she asked him. He nodded eagerly, not caring whether it was a prank or not. They came to the common room and the prefect said the password.

"Sibidius Killius," he said. Charlotte and Draco bounded into the common room. Charlotte ran up the girls dormitory steps and Draco sat down in the green lit room. He waited for Charlotte for a good five minutes. She came back down and had a guitar slung over her shoulder.

"You play guitar?" he asked. She nodded and pulled the guitar around and played a few chords.

"_You're cynical and beautiful  
You always make a scene  
You're monochrome delirious  
You're nothing that you seem  
I'm drowning in your vanity  
Your laugh is a disease  
You know you're everything I need_

Everything you are  
Falls from the sky like a star  
Everything you are  
Whatever ever you want

I wanna kick at the machine  
That made you piss away your dreams  
And tear at your defenses  
Till there's nothing left but me  
You're angry when you're beautiful  
Your love is such a tease  
I'm drowning in your dizzy noise  
I wanna feel you scream."  


XoXo

A/N: I tried something different with this chapter and I hope you like it! It was fun writing this chapter. Please R&R! I don't care if I get flames or not!


	3. Broadway

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except for my ideas and Charlotte. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling and her genius. The lyrics are the Goo Goo Dolls.**

XoXo

Charlotte gazed at Malfoy expectantly. His mouth was a comical round "o" shape. She put her guitar back over her should and could feel her face growing hot since she just embarrassed herself. She had never shown anyone her guitar/singing outside the Weasley family. She made to get up, but Malfoy had said something. "What was that? I didn't quite catch it," Charlotte said softly.

"Did you write that yourself?" he asked. Charlotte nodded; she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks again. She was certain he would burst out laughing and calling everyone over and laugh at her. "It was really good. I wish I could write something like that."

"Thanks. That wasn't even one of my better songs either!" she said with a smile. But then she realized that she had just shown someone that she had sworn to hate something that she hadn't even shown her mum. Not that she and her mum were close or anything. The smile quickly slipped off her face and she quickly ran up the stairs to the girls dormitories.

"Wait!" she could hear him call. She swirled around and her eyes turned to ice as they met his.

"What?!" she snapped.

"Nothing, Princess. I would just watch your step from now on!" Malfoy sneered as he turned on one heel. Charlotte scoffed and continued up to the girls dormitories. She opened the first year's dormitory and went to her bed. She went over to her trunk and put her guitar down. She opened her trunk and changed into her pajamas. She could feel her eyes filling with tears. _I'm never going to be able to be friends with Ron again. Slytherins are supposed to hate Gryffindors, _her eyes let the tears slip. She was overcome with body shuddering sobs. She could barely contain them for fear of waking the other girls up. Someone shifted in their sleep and Charlotte quickly scrambled into her bed. Her tears seeped into her pillow as she cried herself to sleep.

XoXo

Draco smirked as he watched Charlotte's retreating figure. He should probably have felt something like anger when she jumped up and ran away from him but he couldn't. She seemed to have a calming effect. He looked around at the other people that were still sitting in the common room. It was only third years and up so far. He didn't feel at all out of his element. No one was really staring at him, just kind of looking at him out of the side of their eyes. He gave them a small smile and slinked up the stairs to the boys dormitories. He pushed open the door to the first year's dormitory and saw that the other four boys were still awake. "So how did it go?" asked Blaise Zabini. Draco gave him a small smile and held a finger up to his lips. "Oh, come on!"

"It was fine. She sang a song and then left." Draco opened his trunk and pulled his pajamas out. He ripped his clothes off and pulled them on.

"A song?! What kind of song?!" asked a boy that he didn't know.

"I'm sorry, who are you and why are you talking to me?" Draco asked, crawling into his bed.

"I'm James. James Morgan," the boy squeaked.

"Pureblood?"

"Yes. Yes of course!"

"Well, then. Just a song. A song that she wrote." Draco smirked as he pulled his curtains in his four poster bed closed.

XoXo

Charlotte was dreaming peacefully when all of sudden she was underwater. She woke up gasping and sputtering. She was completely drenched in freezing cold water. "What the bloody hell?!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. There were four girls laughing over top of her. A pug-faced girl, a ferocious looking girl, a gorgeous blond girl and her twin. "What the hell was that for?" Charlotte got up and stared all of them down.

"We didn't feel like listening to your blubbering anymore so we decided to wake you up ourselves!" said the pug-face.

"Hope it didn't startle you," one of the blondes said with a smirk.

"No. It didn't, thanks for the wonderful wake up call!" Charlotte said through clenched teeth. She got off of her bed and over to her trunk. She pulled actual clothes out and pulled them on, shivering the whole way. "Happy that I'm gonna end up with hypothermia?" The girls just shrugged and laughed.

"Let's get down to breakfast. Wouldn't want to miss it would you?" asked the fierce looking one. Charlotte shook her head, not wanting to cross this girl.

"Yeah. Let's go girls," the pug-faced one said. One of the blond twins stayed behind to wait for Charlotte.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

"No problem," the twin smiled. "I'm Bracken. You are?"

"Charlotte. Charlotte Hollister." Bracken looked taken aback. "Yeah. No surprise there."

"No! It's not that. It's just . . . your almost as famous as Potter! Well, to Slytherins at least." Bracken gave her a smile. Charlotte smiled back. She sighed and led the way to breakfast. Bracken was right behind her, babbling the whole way. When she got down to the common room, Malfoy was there. A smirk was stuck on his face.

XoXo

Draco was sitting in one of the armchairs that were sitting in front of the unlit fireplace. He looked up in time to see Charlotte walking down the stairs with another one of the Slytherin girls. He smirked as he saw her; she rolled her eyes and glared angrily at him. "Careful Malfoy. Hasn't your mother ever told you that your face could freeze that way?" Charlotte asked him coldly. He was getting used to the fact that she almost never had a friendly tone with him.

"Oh yes. And I still don't care!" he said with even more venom. "Would you like me to escort you fine young ladies to breakfast?" He watched as the pretty blond one opened her mouth but Charlotte answered for them.

"Don't you have someone else to annoy?" she asked with contempt.

"Excuse me, Bracken, is it?" Bracken nodded with wide eyes. "Was I annoying you?" Bracken shook her head. She gave him a dazzling smile that left him unfazed. His eyes were still only on Charlotte.

"So you ask the one person in this room who is infatuated with you if you're annoying them? Oh, very tactful indeed!" Charlotte's eyes had turned cold with hate, but were warming up with laughter.

"I'm sorry. What?" Draco said with a laugh.

"I'm sorry. I should have used words that a troll can understand. You chose someone that is in love with you to ask if you are annoying them. That was very idiotic of you," she said slowly. Draco laughed out loud and shook his head. "Did I make it better for you?"

"Yes. Indeed. Thank you! And while you're at it, I think the baboons at the zoo are waiting for their sister!" Draco said with a smirk. Charlotte's jaw dropped and she looked at Bracken who could barely contain her laughter. "You make this so terribly easy. Well, I guess I'll see you at breakfast then." Draco sauntered away without a look back. He had a smirk on his face and could feel Charlotte walking behind him with a glare on her face.

"MALFOY!" she screamed. Draco swirled around and stared at her. "YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET AWAY WITH THAT?!"

"Well, I thought that I might, but now I'm kind of thinking that I won't . . ." he said quietly.

"Yeah. You better be right that you won't! You think you can insult me and then just walk away?! You have another thing coming!" Charlotte's eyes had turned icy, but they were a different color. They were red.

"Charlotte . . ." he started.

"What?!"

"Your eyes?"

"What about them?"

"They're a different color! Is that normal?" Charlotte's eyes turned back to blue and she ran her fingers through her hair. She bit her lip and turned on her heel. Draco felt horrible for saying something. Obviously she hadn't wanted anyone to know about it. Just he turned around he heard footsteps behind him.

"Hey, Malfoy!" she said calmly.

"Yeah?" he asked his face completely void of emotion.

"Take me down to breakfast?" she asked with a small smile playing on her lips. Draco nodded with a grin spreading to his eyes.

XoXo

Charlotte had just arrived at breakfast with Malfoy draped on her arm. It made her feel uncomfortable, but also just a little bit giddy. _Whoa! Since when did I get giddy around an enemy?_ She sat down and grabbed a few pieces of bacon. She lifted it to her mouth and took a bite. She gave a soft sigh as Professor Snape came up to give their table the schedules. "Hollister, Charlotte." Charlotte jumped up and grabbed her schedule.

"Malfoy, Draco." Malfoy did the same thing. She looked around the Great Hall for Ron. She saw him right across from her and leapt up.

"Ron!" she called. "Ron!" He turned around and looked at her. His face broke into a giant smile and he waved. "What do you have first?"

"Transfiguration with Slytherins and McGonagall," he smiled even wider. "Second?"

"Charms with Ravenclaw and Flitwick . . ." Charlotte's face fell and she gave a grunt. "Third?"

"Herbology with Slytherins and Sprout. Fourth?"

"Potions with Gryffindors and Snape! Fifth?"

"Care of magical Creatures with Ravenclaw and Grubbly-Plank," Ron gave a small groan. "Sixth?"

"We have Flying Lessons with Slytherins and Hooch. Awesome!" Charlotte looked around the table and saw everyone staring at the both of them. She watched as Ron turned around and went back to talking to Harry.

"Why do we have to be with Slytherins anyway?" Neville asked.

"Hey! What the bloody hell do you think you're saying? Why are you with Slytherins? Why do we have to be with witless Gryffindors like you?" Charlotte snapped. Neville's round face turned bright red.

"Hey! Charlotte that was really uncalled for!" Ron yelled, standing up and pulling his wand out and pointing it at her.

"What are you gonna do with that? Poke me?" Charlotte said with contempt. A hand gripped her hard on her arm and turned her around.

"That's enough Hollister," Snape said, his greasy hair swinging.

"But . . ."

"I said that it was enough!" Charlotte nodded and sat back down at the Slytherin table. Humming her songs over and over in her head.

"What are you humming?" Malfoy asked. Charlotte opened her mouth and sang without a guitar.

"_Could you whisper in my ear  
The things you wanna feel  
I'd give you anythin'  
To feel it comin'_

Do you wake up on your own  
And wonder where you are?  
You live with all your faults

I wanna wake up where you are  
I won't say anything at all  
So why don't you slide

Yeah, I'm gonna let it slide

Don't you love the life you killed?  
The priest is on the phone  
Your father hit the wall  
Your ma disowned you

Don't supposed I'll ever know  
What it means to be a man  
It's somethin' I can't change  
I'll live around it

I wanna wake up where you are  
I won't say anything at all  
So why don't you slide  
Ooh, slide

And I'll do anythin' you ever dreamed to be complete  
Little pieces of the nothin' that fall  
Oh, May  
Put your arms around me  
What you feel is what you are  
And what you are is beautiful  
Oh, May  
Do you wanna get married Or run away?

And I'll do anythin' you ever dreamed to be complete  
Little pieces of the nothin' that fall  
Oh, May  
Put your arms around me  
What you feel is what you are  
And what you are is beautiful  
Oh, May  
Do you wanna get married  
Or run away?

I wanna wake up where you are  
I won't say anything

And I'll do anythin' you ever dreamed to be complete  
(Yeah, slide)  
Little pieces of the nothin' that fall  
(yeah slide)  
And I'll do anythin' you ever dreamed to be complete  
(Yeah slide)  
Little pieces of the nothin' that fall  
(Oh, oh slide)  
Yeah, slide between the sheets of all them beds you never knew  
(Yeah slide)  
Why don't you slide into my room  
Just slide into my room  
Oh, we'll run away, run away, run away."

XoXo

A/N: I tried something different with this chapter and I hope you like it! It was fun writing this chapter. Please R&R! I don't care if I get flames or not!


	4. January Friend

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except my character and my ideas. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling. And I have an idea…Malfoy and Charlotte playing a drinking game with firewhiskey! How does it sound? Review what you think.**

XoXo

_Reach  
For higher ground  
About the way you look  
The way you scream out loud  
Mine  
Just like the last time  
It's all the same to me  
She said_

Charlotte's eyes roamed around the table. The pug-faced girl, the ferocious looking girl, Bracken and her twin, Malfoy, Marcus Flint and a few other people were staring at her. "What? Am I not allowed to go over to the Gryffindor table and just say hi or maybe insult on or two?" Charlotte's eyes glinted green with jealousy as she heard the laughter over at the Gryffindor table.

"Not really! Listen, Hollister, you may think that after one year of being a Slytherin and having your 'best friend' a Gryffindor the relationship is still going to stand. But it won't. Trust me," the pug-face said coolly.

"Why would I trust someone that pours water on an innocent bystander for a 'wake up call'?" Charlotte spat, her eyes glinting red. The pug-face gave a small smile.

"I like your style, Hollister. You really will do any means. I had my doubts, but you are a true Slytherin! I'm Pansy." She stuck her hand out for Charlotte to shake it.

"Like _I_ would shake _your_ hand!" Charlotte looked at the hand with disgust, her eyes glinting back blue. Malfoy was silently shaking with laughter. She had a smug smile on her face.

"Your eyes keep changing color. That's supposed to mean what?" Pansy said with a sneer.

"It means that I have a power and you don't!" Charlotte snapped. Pansy's face went back into a scowl.

"You better watch yourself Hollister, or you'll wake up with something worse than water all over you!" Pansy screeched. Charlotte could feel her fist going behind her and snapping forward, hitting Pansy straight in the jaw, almost swinging it out of its socket. Pansy's mouth dropped as she felt her jaw. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL, HOLLISTER?!" she screamed. Charlotte felt a satisfied smile creeping up her face. "You'd better be lucky you live to see tomorrow!"

"You do anything to her, Parkinson and you'll not live to see the next period!" Malfoy said protectively.

"I don't need protecting Malfoy! I can take care of myself!!" Charlotte hissed as her eyes glinted black.

"Black? What's that? Terror?" Pansy sneered again.

" No! It's called you had better get away from me before you get hit again!" Charlotte's fist went back again but was grabbed by the wrist by a cold hand.

"Don't. You're gonna get a detention!" Malfoy hissed in her ear.

"Oh, and you're _so _worried about me so you're gonna stop me?" Charlotte's eyes glinted brown.

"Yeah. Because if you get detention then I'm gonna have to get it too." Malfoy smiled at her and she grimaced.

"What's brown Hollister? Love?" Pansy sneered. Charlotte gave her a withering glare and got up from the table. She stomped down to Charms with no one on her heel.

XoXo

_Let's pretend  
My January friend  
I'm wantin' you again  
I wanna touch you  
Every single heart that beats pretend  
My January friend  
I'm wantin' you again  
I wanna touch you  
Every single heart that beats_

Draco had a sneer on his face when he walked into Charms. There was nothing very exciting about Charms. Flitwick was tiny and squeaked every time he said something. History of Magic was boring as usual. The teacher was a ghost, how can you get more boring than that? Professor McGonagall was actually interesting though. She was strict though, Charlotte had already gotten points taken away for talking during class. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she had changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but realized that they weren't going to change furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only the know-it-all Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Granger a rare smile.

Next was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell was a but of a joke. The classroom smelled horribly like garlic, which Draco had heard was because he was trying to ward off a vampire that he had met in Romania and was afraid of meeting again. His turban, he had told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For instance, a Gryffindor had asked him how he had fought off the zombie and he went pink and talked about the weather.

But all of a sudden it was Friday. The days had felt short and filled with almost nothing. Charlotte had barely talked to him and she had become fast friends with Bracken and her twin. Friday was Double Potions with Snape. Great! Snape actually favored them against Gryffindor! Who they were with for the rest of the year. He walked into the classroom and sat down next to Charlotte. She was _still_ ignoring him! "Hey!" he said brightly.

"Hello," she said coldly.

"Having fun?" he asked, slightly discouraged.

"Yes. I'm having copious amounts of fun at _school_!" Charlotte said, turning to Bracken and her twin.

"Well, why not? I mean, you have friends now! Everything should be great!" he said brightly again.

"Whatever!"

Snape had started roll call and had stopped at Potter's name. "Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new—_celebrity_."

Draco let out a snigger along with Crabbe, Goyle and the rest of the Slytherins. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were coal black and cold.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word—like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. . . . I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper death— if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed the speech, maybe out of fear than anything else. Draco saw Potter and Weasley exchange glances and that Granger was on the edge of her seat. He took out a piece of parchment and scribbled:

_Charlotte,_

_Look at Granger. What a prat!_

_-Draco_

He threw it at her and watched her read it. She looked at Granger and laughed silently. Draco allowed himself a smirk.

XoXo

_Cry  
Don't cry out loud  
You've gotta bear your cross  
But never think too loud  
And you're tied  
Tied to the next time  
You realize  
Your crimes_

Charlotte couldn't believe that she was actually laughing at something Malfoy had thrown her. She was still trying to ignore him after what he had said to her on Monday. He was cold-hearted and she never wanted anything to do with him, but he was funny. She was snapped back into attention when Snape started to talk again.

"Potter!" Snape said suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Charlotte turned to look at Potter and saw him working his brain furiously. Granger's hand immediately shot into the air and Charlotte had to suppress a laugh.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry. Snape's lips turned into a sneer.

"Tut, tut—fame clearly isn't everything." He completely disregarded Granger's hand. "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" Granger's hand went straight into the air again. Charlotte and the rest of the Slytherin's were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Potter's brain was obviously working overtime for this. Snape was still ignoring Granger's hand. "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Granger was completely standing up with her hand quivering toward the ceiling.

"I don't know," Harry said quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" The Gryffindor's were laughing as the Slytherins stared at Snape.

"Sit down," he snapped at Granger. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most posions. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes and grabbed her parchment and quill and ink from her bag and began scratching on her parchment. She could tell that Snape was going to be one of her most hated teachers. Snape opened his mouth again and said, "And a point from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

Things hadn't improved for the Gryffindors but everything was perfect for the Slytherins. Except for the part where Charlotte had to be with Malfoy for making the gay potion. Snape was watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs and criticized everyone except for Charlotte and Malfoy.

"Idiot boy!" Snape snarled at a Gryffindor, clearing up the potion with his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?!" Neville whimpered at Snape. "Take him up to the hospital wing!" Snape threw Neville's partner out of the classroom.

Charlotte looked over at Malfoy with a smirk written across her face. "Stupid Longbottom!" she breathed into his ear. He shook with laughter and almost spilled the contents of their potion onto the floor. "Watch out Malfoy!" she yelled through her laughter.

"I'm trying!" he laughed back. Snape only blinked an eye and didn't pay anymore attention to either of them. Their laughter finally subsided and they looked down at their potion and found that it was as finished as it was going to be. This was good because the bell had just rung.

"That was fun," Charlotte smiled at him, her eyes turning a warm brown.

"Yeah. It was. Maybe we could do it again sometime," he said with a laugh.

"Yeah. Maybe next class we have with Snape." She gave him a rare smile and forgot all about her fight with him.

"CHARLOTTE!" Bracken was running down the hall screaming her name. "CHARLOTTE!"

"Bracken!" Charlotte yelled right back. "What's wrong?"

"It's Pansy. She's . . . . Well, you should just come and see for yourself." Bracken took off running down the hall with Charlotte on her heels. They were already in the dungeons so it only took about a minute to get to the common room. Bracken screamed the password to the wall. "SIBIDIUS KILLIUS!" The wall sunk in and allowed them to go through. "Look."

Pansy Parkinson was standing on top of a table in the middle of the room with a few pieces of parchment in her hands and was reading them out loud. "'Dear Diary, Today my mother left before I was even awake. That's a first for her! But I get to spend most of the day with the Weasley's. Why can't I just have a normal family with a father and a mother that loves me and doesn't leave without saying goodbye?' Why does my life have to suck? Love, Charlotte. Wait! There's more where that came from! "'Dear Diary, Today Ron took me outside behind the shed and told me that he couldn't imagine life without me! He kissed me then! It was the most magical moment of my life! I can't stop replaying it in my head and I wouldn't be surprised if I had a dream about it.' That's it for now folks! We'll have more before bed!"

Tears were pouring out of Charlotte's eyes as she stood with her mouth agape and staring at Pansy. Pansy gave her a ruthless smile as she ran up to the girl's dorm. "How did she find it? How could she do this? Why is she evil?!" Charlotte repeated as she ran out of the room and to find Ron.

XoXo

_Let's pretend  
My January friend  
I'm wantin' you again  
I wanna touch you  
Every single heart that beats pretend  
My January friend  
I'm wantin' you again  
I wanna touch you  
Every single heart that beats_

Draco watched as Charlotte ran after Bracken. He figured that everything would go back to normal after Bracken was finished showing Pansy whatever she needed to show her. She turned around and saw Potter and his little buddy Weasley. "I guess your little buddy Longbottom wasn't a coordinated as Charlotte and I," he sneered.

"Speaking of Charlotte, where is she?" Weasley asked Draco.

"How am I supposed to know? I'm not her babysitter now am I?" Draco snapped needlessly. He really had no idea where she was, he just felt like teasing Weasley. "She just ran off with her new _best _friend, Bracken."

"Typical Charli," Weasley sighed as he walked away. Draco stared after them, wondering how Weasley could be so cool about his supposed girlfriend running away with someone he didn't even know. Gryffindors work in mysterious ways. But Draco was getting worried; Charlotte should have been in and then out, knowing how she felt about Pansy. He decided to go to the common room to see what was taking so long.

He uttered the password to the wall which let him in right away. He saw Pansy on top of a table reading the contents of a diary. He realized whose it was as soon as he saw Charlottes black hair. Pansy finally finished and Charlotte turned to run out of the room, her face streaked with tears. She pushed past Draco to get to the exit before anyone could laugh. He ran after her and finally caught up.

"Hey," he said soothingly.

"Get away from me!" she said scathingly.

"Whoa! All I want to do is help!"

"Well you're not, so leave me alone!" She ran away from him, her eyes ice blue and cold.

XoXo

A/N so there you have it. Charlotte has a few secrets and she'll figure out that you can't always trust everyone. Malfoy has a good side and Ron doesn't care anymore.


	5. Black Balloon

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except my character and my ideas. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling. And I have an idea…Malfoy and Charlotte playing a drinking game with firewhiskey! How does it sound? Review what you think.**

XoXo

_Reach  
For higher ground  
About the way you look  
The way you scream out loud  
Mine  
Just like the last time  
It's all the same to me  
She said_

Charlotte finally stopped running and ended up sitting down in the shade of a tree outside on the grounds. She sobbed and sobbed, wondering how everything could have turned around in a manner of a few hours. She heard someone sit beside her and looked up. It was a red-headed boy. "Hey," Ron said with a smile.

"Hey," she said thickly, looking at him. "How'd you know where I was?"

"Let's just say that you are incredibly predictable. You always go outside when you're upset. You don't think anyone can see you there."

"Thanks. You just made my self-esteem go up." Charlotte made to get up but Ron pulled on her arm. "What?"

"Don't go, it's been awhile since we actually talked." Ron was looking at her with his huge brown eyes and Charlotte couldn't help but comply. "So what happened?"

"Well, let's just say that I won't be writing in a diary anytime soon," Charlotte said, managing a small smile.

"Was it Pansy?"

"Yes. It was definitely Pansy."

"How great is she?" Ron asked with sarcasm dripping from his voice. Charlotte laughed and then smiled at him.

"I'd better go," she said quietly. "Everyone's probably looking for me. But it was nice talking to you again, Ron!" Ron nodded with a crestfallen look on his face. She waved goodbye and ran back inside the castle to a waiting Malfoy.

:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:

_Let's pretend  
My January friend  
I'm wantin' you again  
I wanna touch you  
Every single heart that beats pretend  
My January friend  
I'm wantin' you again  
I wanna touch you  
Every single heart that beats_

Draco watched Charlotte and Weasley as they sat and talked under the tree. He wished that they could talk like that and he could comfort her when she really needed it. Suddenly she got up and Draco's heart started to beat faster as he realized that she was walking over here. She had a large smile that reflected itself in her eyes. They were back to blue with no trace of red in them at all. "Hey, Malfoy," she said with a grin.

"Hey, Charlotte. Feeling better?" he asked with a sarcastic smirk on his lips. She gave him a look that told him he needed to shut up and walk away.

"Just shut up and walk away, Malfoy!" she said with a smile. He smiled back and walked with her to the common room.

"Please tell me you're not going to do anything stupid!" Draco pleaded. "Like try to get Pansy back or something like that."

"Now why would you think I would do something like that?" Charlotte asked with a smile on her lips.

"Because you have a temper."

"Me? Have a temper?"

"Yes. You have a temper. But don't worry. I still love you!" Draco smirked and stared at her. Charlotte smiled and giggled. "If you're that mad at Pansy why didn't you just yell at her?"

"Because yelling has never worked for me. Every time I try to yell at my mom she gets pissed at me and then yells back and then I end up going to the Weasley's house mad. That's why Ron knows how to calm down and knows where I go," Charlotte said with a small smile on her lips and her eyes glinting a dark blue.

They finally made it to the common room and had just gone in when they saw everyone crowded around a slip of paper. "What's going on?" Draco asked Blaise.

"It's flying lessons! They're starting on Thursday!" he said excitedly.

"The only thing is . . . we're with Gryffindors," Pansy said glumly. Draco saw Charlotte eye her angrily.

"What's wrong with Gryffindors?" Charlotte snapped.

"Apparently nothing," Pansy said with sarcasm.

"Listen Parkinson! Just because you don't have any real friends doesn't mean that you can call people that do out!" Charlotte yelled. Pansy's eyes widened and then narrowed in anger.

"Well, at least I'm not friends with blood traitors!"

"No! You are one!"

"That's a lie!"

"Oh really? Then tell me why you're so against me being friends with the Weasleys!"

"Because they're Gryffindors! Everyone knows that a Slytherin can't be friends with a Gryffindor!"

"Then I guess I'm breaking the rules! You can't tell me what to do and no matter what I won't listen!" Charlotte glared at Pansy and her eyes were glinting red. Draco stared at the both of them with his mouth wide open. He didn't know that girls could be so cruel to each other.

He slowly started to clap and then started getting faster along with everyone else joining in. Charlotte turned her cold eyes to him. He saw the fierce anger in her eyes and saw that she really was ready to hurt someone. "Nice job, Hollister. Who are you going to fight next?"

"You if you don't shut up, Malfoy!" she said coldly and quietly. He gave her a small smile and looked at Blaise who winked. "If you two are done being gay now, I'd like to get to dinner now!"

"As you wish. But first, let's talk," he said snidely.

"As if I'd talk with you, Malfoy!" she said coolly. "Now move out of the way or I _will_ hurt you!" She pushed past Draco and walked out of the common room with Bracken and Blair on her tail. He watched her and smiled as Crabbe and Goyle came up behind him.

"Do you think I made her mad?" he asked with a smile. They both grunted as the three of them walked out of the common room and up to dinner.

:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM

_Cry  
Don't cry out loud  
You've gotta bear your cross  
But never think too loud  
And you're tied  
Tied to the next time  
You realize  
Your crimes_

Charlotte looked at Bracken with cold eyes glinting red. "What? What did I do to make you mad?" she asked impatiently.

"Are you seriously asking me that question right now?!" Charlotte yelled.

"Yes! And you are not answering me!"

"You're the one that brought me up there to show me what she was doing! I should have known that all four of you were in league together! Why would I even believe that I could fit in at Slytherin?!" she asked herself, walking away from the twins.

"Hold up! Charli! I'm sorry! She just wanted to get back at you for making fun of her in front of Malfoy! In case you hadn't noticed she is completely in love with him!" Bracken said, trying to justify herself.

"I wasn't involved in any of this!" Blair said randomly. Charlotte looked at her with a sarcastic smile on her lips and nodded.

"Yeah, I had noticed that! And she can have him! Because in case _you_ haven't noticed, he is completely in love with me!" Charlotte stalked away from the twins and didn't look back when she heard their footsteps echoing behind her. "What the hell do you two want?!"

"To make it up to you! We know that being away from your best friend must be hard, especially when you're in a feuding house with them! Just, hear us out," Blair said, trying to comfort Charlotte.

"Again, I'm not mad at you! I'm pissed at your sister!" Charlotte yelled at Bracken, her eyes turning a violent red color.

"I already told you why we did it!" Bracken yelled back. "You can't tell me that you wouldn't help someone that you've known longer than a week! You can't tell me that you wouldn't help Ron do something to someone you were friends with before you helped someone that you knew for a week!"

"Well, I wouldn't worry about that!" Charlotte stomped away from the twins and went up to dinner alone.

Charlotte sat down next to Millicent Bulstrode and saw a flash of pale blond hair next to her. "Will you ever leave me alone?" she hissed.

"Probably not," Malfoy retorted. Charlotte whipped around and glared at him, her eyes glinting brown. "Hm, not red anymore. You can't be mad at me, can you?"

"You wanna test that theory out?!" she growled.

"Yeah, let's go!" Malfoy sneered at her. Charlotte's jaw was set in a tight line but she eventually just stood up and walked away from him. She needed to figure out why her eyes didn't stay red when he came up behind her.

CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:

_Let's pretend  
My January friend  
I'm wantin' you again  
I wanna touch you  
Every single heart that beats pretend  
My January friend  
I'm wantin' you again  
I wanna touch you  
Every single heart that beats_

Draco watched as she retreated and felt some sort of remorse at her retreating figure. At least he knew that she couldn't stay mad at him. James came to sit down next to him and he had a look of surprise written on his face. "What was that all about?" he asked.

"Nothing," Draco said shortly.

"That didn't look like nothing. It looked like you did something to her."

"I just called her out on the fact that she can't stay mad at me." Draco had a small smile on his lips, just accounting for the fact that he could do something to her that would make her smile was enough.

"She can't stay mad at you? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Figure it out for yourself, James! I mean really! I don't know how else I could describe it to you!" Draco stood up and followed after Charlotte. He was starting to feel bad that he didn't have anything to eat, but he could always get something from the kitchens later. Right now he needed to find Charlotte and possibly have a laugh with Crabbe and Goyle later on. "Hey! Charlotte!" he yelled when he saw her black hair.

"What the bloody hell could you possibly want that you haven't told me already?!" she yelled back, her eyes glinting a dangerous blood red. "That maybe I have a temper that I can't control? Or possibly that I can't fit in with the Slytherins? Or maybe, just maybe that my mum doesn't love me! That she leaves me alone and hopes that I can find my way to the Weasley's and that I don't die over night!" Her chest was heaving with passion as she looked Draco full in the face.

"No. I wanted to apologize!" he yelled back. "But maybe now I do think all those things! And maybe now I don't want to talk to anymore! And maybe now I start hating you off the bat, and not give you a chance like you did with me! Maybe now I'll make assumptions about your family by listening to a bunch of mudbloods and blood traitors! How does that sound!?" He watched as Charlotte took a step back, her eyes shifting from blue to brown from brown to pink and back to blue again. He could see the blush running up from her neck to her cheeks.

He could feel the own heat on his face rising up. He had never lost his temper like that. There was definitely something about her. Whether it was good, or it was bad he would never know. "Touché, Malfoy," she said with a smile, holding her hand out to him. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. I'm usually good with stuff like this. Holding it back when I'm not mad at someone and letting it out when I am mad."

"Usually I'm good at not letting my temper get the best of me," he said with a sad smile. "I seriously don't think that I have ever completely lost my temper with anyone like I just did."

Charlotte gave Draco a small smile and walked the rest of the way up to the common room. "I have a better idea," Draco said as it sprung into his head.

"A better idea like what?" Charlotte asked with sarcasm.

"Like we go up to the library," she gave him a look and scoffed. "No! Just go up there and I'll meet you in a couple minutes!"

"What do you mean you'll meet me in a couple minutes?!"

"Just that! I have to grab some stuff. Just go up there. I'll come up, I promise!"

:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM

Charlotte shook her head and walked up to the library. Why she was trusting a Malfoy was beyond her. _What happens if I go up there and I'm the only one up there? What if he never comes up? _She shook her head again, trying to get her thoughts straight. She had just had a fight with him and then apologized; it's nothing to get riled up about again. She saw Ron by himself at the end of the corridor. "What are you doing here?" she asked him, walking up to his side.

"I could ask you the same thing. I saw you and Malfoy fighting and I thought that I should find you. But it looks like you two kissed and made up without help from anybody!" he said with ferocity.

"Yeah! That's what I like to think I can do by myself. Kiss and make up. Even though we didn't really!" she growled.

"Really? You know what? You've changed since you've become a Slytherin!" Ron said with a glint in his eyes. Charlotte's eyes glinted red for about the twentieth time that day.

"Oh I'm changed because I'm a Slytherin?! I'm changed because I wasn't Sorted into the perfect world of Gryffindor is that right?! I've changed because I my mother was evil and I just wanted to show the world that I wasn't like her at all and because I was willing to use any means to do that? Is that right Ron? Is that why?!" Charlotte spat with venom.

"That is not what I said, Char!"

"Oh, no! Maybe you didn't say it! But you definitely thought it! Maybe I'm not the same! But at least I know that now! And I won't be making that mistake again! Thanks, Ron! I hope I never see you again!" She turned on her heel and walked up to the library without looking back once. She could feel his gaze on the back of her neck and felt the heat rise into her face. She would give anything to talk to Malfoy or Bracken or Blair in that one moment of fighting.

CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:

A/N so there you have it. Charlotte has a few secrets and she'll figure out that you can't always trust everyone. Malfoy has a good side and Ron doesn't care anymore.


	6. Bullet Proof

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except my character and my ideas. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling. And I have an idea…Malfoy and Charlotte playing a drinking game with firewhiskey! How does it sound? Review what you think.**

XoXo

_Baby__'s black balloon makes her fly  
I almost fell into that hole in your life  
And you're not thinking about tomorrow  
cause you were the same as me  
But on your knees_

Charlotte ran the entire way to the library. Desperate for someone to talk to, she spied Theodore Nott, someone that was quiet, but really smart and that talked to Malfoy on rare occasions. "Do you want to know something?" she almost whispered to him, sitting across from him.

"Sure," he said, not looking up from his book.

"Gryffindors are absolute and horrifically slimy gits!" she almost shrieked, before she realized she was in the library. Theodore looked over his book and gave her a mind-melting smile. He was actually pretty cute. He had dark brown hair and golden eyes and an olive skin tone. He was almost perfect!

"Thank you for that revelation," he laughed. Charlotte's eyes glinted a warm brown. "Your eyes change color. Cool."

"They don't completely change color, they glint. You can see some of my blue eyes!" she said with a small smile. "You know, there is something that I've been meaning to say to someone that is actually civil."

"What?"

"How can I live with being in a different house than my best friend? Well, ex-best friend according to the fight we just had, but still. How do I live with the fact that the friends I've made here are prepared to use mutiny against me whenever Pansy tells them to!" Charlotte stared at Theodore, his golden eyes partially hidden by his shock of long brown hair.

"Well, my answer to the first question is to just hold out until you're sure that you've made good friends in Slytherin. And by the looks of it, you and Draco seem to be hitting it off and hitting it off hard. My answer to the second question is this: Just give them time to see what a git that Parkinson is. And by the way. Congratulations for punching her in the face!" Charlotte half-smiled while her eyes glinted pink. "Pink?"

"I'm not exactly sure. Put it seems to be happening more often now," she confided in him. "Why are you up here and not at dinner?"

"I find that dinner is slightly inconsequential to schoolwork," he replied in a bored tone, leaning back over his book.

"What are you? Granger?" she asked, pointing to the bushy-haired, buck-toothed girl at a table across from the two of them.

"Oh, no. People actually like me because I don't force my knowledge upon them," Theodore said matter-of-factly. "Well, at least I think they do."

"Most definitely!" Charlotte said without a doubt. He was cute; she had to give him that. But he was nice and sweet and he knew how to make someone feel better. Definitely better than Malfoy.

"Well, thank you. But you see, my charming good looks and knowledge do not mean anything to the natural eye. But what does mean something is the fact that I am utterly and completely modest!" he said with a smile.

"Oh really? Your modesty? And where did you hide it when I came up to talk to you?" she asked, giving him a dazzling smile in return.

"Well, it's right here!" He pushed his hand into his pocket and pulled it back out with a twittering bird chirping on his fingers. Charlotte's mouth dropped in amazement as she looked from the bird to his dark brown eyes and back again.

"That was completely amazing! How did you do that?!"

"Let's just say that it comes with being a genius and a wizard!" he said with a broad grin gracing his features. Charlotte laughed and then gazed into his warm golden eyes. She was broken out of her trance when she heard Malfoy's voice in her ear.

"What did you do to Weasley? He looked close to tears when I met him in the corridor," he asked, sitting next to her.

"It was nothing," she said quietly, not meeting either of their eyes.

"It didn't look like nothing!" Malfoy said loudly. Granger looked up at the three of them with suspiciousness written all over her face.

"Would you shut up?" Charlotte hissed as Madam Pince walked by. Charlotte picked up a piece of Theodore's parchment, Theodore stuck his nose back into his book and Malfoy just sat with a smug look written all over his face. "Besides, what did you want me to come up here for?"

"Look at this!" Malfoy dug in his bag until he found something. It was a bottle of firewhiskey. "And…" He pulled out a radio.

"What is this?!" Theodore said loudly. "I'm pretty sure that this is illegal beyond anything, Draco!"

"Would you shut up? Obviously I know that, otherwise I wouldn't have had to smuggle it up here!" Malfoy snapped. "Now. We are going to play a little drinking game."

"A drinking game?! You cannot be serious!" Charlotte squeaked. "What if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing will go wrong if you follow the rules!" Malfoy said with a sneer as he pulled three shot glasses out of his bag. "The rules are as follows. 1: The game is called I Never. You to say 'I never . . . .' 2: When you drink it has to be about something you have done. Is that clear?" Charlotte and Theodore nodded slowly. "Awesome! Well, let's play. I'll start. I've never hexed a Muggle." He then filled up three shots of firewhiskey and passed them out.

Theodore drank his shot and winced as it passed through his throat. Malfoy filled it back up and passed it back to him. Malfoy looked at Charlotte with a smug look written all over his face. She looked back at him with the same look and picked up the shot. She downed it in one gulp and barely winced when the firewhiskey burned its way down her throat. "Your turn Charlotte," he said in a level voice.

"I never played the Muggle game of Hide and Seek," she said innocently, her throat burning where the alcohol had seared her throat. She took another drink from her shot along with Theodore.

"You two have more in common than I thought. Theodore, it's your turn." Malfoy flicked on the radio and one of Charlotte's favorite songs came on. She sang along and waited for Theodore to think of something.

:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:

_A thousand other boys could never reach you  
How could I have been the one  
I saw the world spin beneath you  
And scatter like ice from the spoon  
That was your womb_

Draco listened as Charlotte sang along to the song on the radio. She wasn't quiet loud and yet she wasn't quiet soft. She had a confidence about her, not just her singing, but about everything. The words she was singing were so true. She was a good girl gone bad. And maybe she could blame that on himself, but at least she was happy. Her eyes were a pretty blue with specks of brown. What could that mean? There was so much he didn't know about her. What made her tick, what she was thinking, why she was so content with fighting with Weasley.

"Draco!" Theodore thundered.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"I just said that I never was annoyed by another pureblood. Do you drink or no?"

"I may have to drink more than once." Draco smiled at the both of them. He filled his cup and drank. But not without thinking, _if only Weasley was here. I can be assured that he would be drinking also. _He watched Charlotte drink from over the rim of his cup. He watched her wince as the drink seared down her throat, but otherwise take it as if there was nothing wrong with sitting in the school library and drinking Firewhiskey. "Now, I never hated my parents!" He refilled his cup.

Draco watched with a smirk as Theodore and Charlotte drank again. He hesitated for a few seconds and then drank again. Theodore caught his eye and smirked. Draco smirked back, cleared his throat and announced, "I believe it is time for me to leave. Would you two like to come with me?" he smiled at Charlotte especially.

"Fine. I need to get something to eat first though," Charlotte said, looking at Theodore with expectant eyes.

"Yeah, I guess I'll come too." Theodore shut his books and followed Draco and Charlotte out the doors. Draco gave him a glare but he ignored it.

"Hey Theodore!" Draco announced again.

"What, Draco?"

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure." Draco pulled him aside and looked at him with cold gray eyes.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" Draco's eyes turned hard. "Can't you see I have a plan?!"

"Yeah, Draco. Because your plan is so out there and everyone can see it!"

"Exactly!" Theodore rolled his eyes and looked at Draco as if he was entirely mental. "What?"

"I think you're mental is what!" Theodore said hardly.

"Why would I be mental?"

"Because you think you know everyone knows your mind when they don't!" Theodore exploded. "Because you think that she's yours when she isn't! Because you think that you can call anything in the world and it's yours!"

"Because I can!" Draco sniffed. "Besides! What do you have that I don't?"

"A sense of honesty and possibly that nothing in the world is mine!"

"Guys!" Charlotte called. Draco and Theodore both turned around. "I'm going up to the common room. It's time to go to sleep, okay?" She turned around with both of them arguing.

:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM

_Comin down the world turned over  
And angels fall without you there  
And I go on as you get colder  
Or are you someones prayer_

Charlotte woke up with the sun in her eyes. She hadn't realized that the sun could filter its way down here. She saw that Bracken and Blair were still sleeping but didn't see Millicent or Pansy anywhere. She got up out of bed and over to her trunk quickly so as to not be drenched in water. She got dressed in her robes and quickly made her way down stairs. She found her way through the crowded common room and out the door. She collided with the blond twins. "What are you two doing here?" she growled.

"Maybe we go to school here!" Bracken growled back.

"Get out of my way!" Charlotte said, shoving the twins aside. Bracken looked at her with tears in her eyes and her mouth open as if she was going to say something. She then closed it and walked back into the common room with Blair.

Charlotte continued her way down to breakfast and when she arrived she saw Malfoy sitting by himself. "Do you have no friends or are you unnaturally antisocial?" she asked with a slight smile on her lips.

"Well, you see Longbottom over there at the Gryffindor table?" Malfoy responded. Charlotte looked over and nodded. "He just got a Remembrall and, because I'm bored, I'm going to stir up some trouble. Come on." Malfoy stood up along with Charlotte.

They walked over to the Gryffindor table with small smiles on their faces and stopped at Longbottom's spot. Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. Charlotte hoped for a fight so that she could punch Potter in the nose, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble faster than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

"What's going on?"

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."

Malfoy scowled and dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

"Just looking," he said, sloping away with Charlotte on his tail. "That wasn't what I was hoping for.

"Well obviously not!" Charlotte said in a bored tone.

At three-thirty that afternoon Charlotte, Malfoy, Theodore and most of the other Slytherin first years went down to the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose tree were swaying darkly in the distance.

The Gryffindors were a few minutes late then them. The broomsticks were lying in neat lines on the ground. Charlotte had heard Fred and George complaining about the school brooms many times, they said that they started to vibrate if you flew too high or always flew slightly to the left.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up.

Charlotte looked down at her broom. It was old and the twigs stuck out at odd angles. She looked at Malfoy who had a look of pure disgust on his face.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'UP'"

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Charlotte's broom jumped into her hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. Crabbe and Goyle were standing with stupid looks on their faces and Bracken and Blair's brooms just rolled on the ground.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Charlotte could hear Ron and Potter laughing when she told Malfoy that he had been doing it wrong for years.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle—three—two—"

But Longbottom, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle—twelve feet—twenty feet. Charlotte could see his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and—

WHAM—a thud and a nasty crack and Longbottom lay facedown on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.

Madam Hooch was bending over Longbottom, her face as white as his.

"Broken wrist," Charlotte could hear her mutter. "Come on, boy—it's all right, up you get."

She turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on dear."

Longbottom, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

Charlotte and the other Slytherins burst into laughter.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Charlotte. "Never thought _you'd _like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Potter quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find—how about—up a tree?"

"Give it _here_!" Potter yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he _could_ fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:

_You know the lies they always told you  
And the love you never knew  
Whats the things they never showed you  
That swallowed the light from the sun  
Inside your room_

Draco looked down and saw the green and silver patches among the scarlet and gold of the Gryffindors. He saw Potter flying toward him. There was no way that he could fly _that_ well and be a half-blood!

"Give it here," Potter called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"Oh, yeah?" Draco replied, trying to sneer but worry creeping into his eyes.

Potter apparently knew what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Draco like a javelin. Draco only just got out of the way in time; Potter made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Potter called.

The same thought had just occurred to Draco.

"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted back, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

Draco watched as Potter leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down—next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball. Draco landed before Potter caught it so that he wouldn't gain a detention from McGonagall.

"HARRY POTTER!" he heard McGonagall yell. Draco sauntered over to Charlotte and smiled at her. He watched as Potter got to his feet, obviously trembling.

"_Never_—in all my time at Hogwarts—"

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "—how _dare_ you—might have broken your neck—"

"It wasn't his fault, Professor—"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil—"

"But Malfoy—"

"That's _enough_, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."

:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM

A/N so there you have it. Charlotte has a few secrets and she'll figure out that you can't always trust everyone. Malfoy has a good side and Ron doesn't care anymore.


	7. Amigone

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except my character and my ideas. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling. And I have an idea…Malfoy and Charlotte playing a drinking game with firewhiskey! How does it sound? Review what you think.**

XoXo

_Do you listen to yourself  
Never live for someone else  
Do you like the way you feel  
Nothing hurts when no one's real  
She wants to shake this scene  
Yeah she wants to shake with me  
She's not looking for the holes in all the lies_

I wanna bullet proof your soul  
Would you like to lose control  
I won't let you fall until you tell me so

Charlotte watched in disgust, her eyes turning indigo, as Malfoy's face turned from guilty to triumphant. She stomped over to him and prepared to talk. "You should be ashamed of yourself! He could have been hurt!" Charlotte heard Granger's voice say instead of her own. "You're standing over here with your little Slytherin buddies congratulating yourself when you should be berating yourself for not stopping him!"

"Shut up, Granger! Just because you don't have any friends doesn't mean that you have to berate everyone that does!" Charlotte said with a smirk. Ron came up behind Granger and gave her a dark look. "What? What could you possibly want?!"

"I was just coming over here to ask what was going on!" Ron yelled back with ferocity that Charlotte had never seen before. "But obviously you're too worried about fitting in with your mental Slytherin friends to pay attention to us lowly Gryffindors!"

Charlotte raised her arm as if to punch him in the nose, but quickly changed it into a slap. She hit him soundly across the face with a satisfying slap. It resonated across the entire grounds. Ron's hand instinctively reached to where the red mark of her hand was forming. His mouth dropped into a comical "o" shape. Charlotte gave a small smile and then blew a kiss in his direction. Ron's eyes grew large and then tears formed. Charlotte turned to Malfoy and Theodore with an expectant smile on her lips. All she could see was the disappointment written all over their faces. "What?" she asked with disappointment highlighting her voice.

"You didn't have to hit him!" Theodore said with a small grimace. Malfoy all of a sudden broke out into clapping. She looked at him again and he had a huge smile written on his lips.

"Perfect! You know what? You mother would be proud of you. Hitting a Gryffindor friend, what she wouldn't give to see that moment!" Malfoy sneered at her.

"What the hell are you talking about, Malfoy?"

"Are you kidding me? Your mom totally would have loved to see that! You even told me that she would have loved to be a Slytherin!"

"So what? That's not what I meant it to be! Ron! Help me!" she pleaded, her eyes turning a dark blue.

"Help you?! You just slapped me! Why the hell would I help _you_?" Ron spat back, watching as the tears formed in her eyes. Charlotte bit her lip and turned away from him. She looked at Malfoy with her blue eyes glistening with tears. He looked as though he was melting in front of her, but she couldn't be sure.

"Listen to me! You can't take back what you did! You just have to live with the fact that you are going to be like your mother!" Malfoy said quietly which was almost worse than him yelling at her.

"No, I'm not!" she whispered. "Draco, I can't possibly become like my mother! The whole reason why I was sorted into Slytherin was because I promised myself that I wasn't going to be like my mother!" Charlotte could see Madam Hooch coming out of the castle. She turned away from the teacher and looked at the sky.

"Class! You're dismissed! Longbottom is taking longer than I had anticipated!" she quickly wheeled around and went back into the castle. Charlotte sighed and ran at full speed back into the castle and into the Slytherin common room.

:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:

_What are we? (Whatchya wanna be)  
Everything! (That you wanna be)  
All I need (Right in front of me)  
I've know before_

Would you come my way  
Or did you burn out to the end  
Would you come my way  
Should have listened when you called my name

Draco watched as the sobbing Charlotte ran into the castle. He wanted to know what was going on inside her head, but saw that Bracken and Blair were the first ones after her. He turned to Theodore who had a smirk on his face. "You figured out my plan huh?" asked Draco.

"Yup!" Theodore smiled. "You said it was good of her to do it because her mother would have been proud, which made her feel bad and then she would figure out that she was wrong." Draco nodded proudly. "Good job, mate!"

"I know. I'm amazing!" Draco smirked, bursting into laughter at the sound of his own voice. Blaise sidled up to the two of them and looked at Draco with reverence. "Hey, Blaise."

"That was good, mate. But look at Weasley's face!" Blaise sneered as they walked back to the common room. Draco snuck a look back and saw that Weasley was still fingering his cheek as though he couldn't believe that Charlotte had slapped him.

"He is completely mental and yet, for some reason, she still likes hanging around him," Draco pondered out loud. He watched as his friends faces turned into wide grins like they knew something was up. "What's going on?"

"You so like her!" Blaise said loudly. Draco's mouth dropped. _How did they figure it out?_ He thought.

"What? That is completely preposterous!" Draco challenged. Theodore shook his head a sniggered.

"No. You like her. That's why you're jealous of her and Weasley. Because she spends more time with him and you want more time with her. That's why you were happy she got into Slytherin even though it half destroyed her!" Theodore challenged back. Draco shut his mouth and stared at the both of them with wide eyes.

"You cannot tell anyone!" Draco said unexpectantly. Theodore and Blaise smiled at each other with goofy grins written on their faces. They nodded at each other and turned back to Draco.

"Fine. But on one condition!" Blaise said with a half smile. Draco rolled his eyes, but signaled them to continue with their blathering. "You have to allow us to ease her into this idea of you like her."

"No! That's completely against what I just told you. You CANNOT tell anyone!" he enunciated again. Blaise and Theodore nodded solemnly and looked at each other.

"We should probably go inside. We're the only ones left out here and I want to see if Charlotte is okay," Theodore said point-blank. Draco and Blaise nodded but not without the little look at Theodore that seemed to say ,"He likes her too!"

:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM

_Yeah she wants to tear you down  
And she leaves without a sound  
It's like fallin' backwards  
Into no one's arms_

You're a bullet through my soul  
And I'll never let you know  
I won't let you fall until you let it go

Charlotte looked up from sobbing into Bracken's shirt. She had officially made up with the twins, being too exhausted to fight with anyone anymore. She looked into the smiling green eyes of her friend and sobbed even harder. "H-how c-could I b-b-be so stupid? I-I've n-never hit s-someone like th-that before!" she sobbed. Bracken rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Why don't you just apologize? I mean, I'm sure he'll forgive you. Right?" Bracken looked at her sister with wide eyes. Blair shook her head as Charlotte gave her a look. Blair reached over to her sobbing friend and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Don't worry. It'll work out fine. Besides. It's time for dinner. Do you want to go down?" Charlotte nodded and walked into the girl's lavatory. She looked at herself in the mirror and almost cried at the sight. Her eyes were red and puffy. She splashed her face with ice cold water, a trick she had learned from her mother. She looked back into the mirror and had to admit that she looked a right sight better now.

She stepped out of the lavatory and nodded to her friends. She heard the wall that led out of the Slytherin common room. She looked and saw Malfoy, Theodore and Blaise walking in. She gave a furtive smile to Theodore who rushed over and gave her a hug. She let out a gasp of surprise, but then complied. She hugged him back and sneaked a glance at Malfoy who was sulking with Blaise. She smiled at looked up at him. "What was that for?" Charlotte asked with a small smile on her face.

"Are you all right?" Theodore asked comfortingly.

"Yeah. I mean, as all right as you can be when you've just slapped your best friends across the face." Charlotte laughed. Theodore laughed along with her, half with her and half at Malfoy. "So, what would happen if I don't believe you about the about wondering if I was all right?"

"Well, then I might have to ask you why you're so untrusting."

"Maybe it's because no one has ever tried to comfort me like that." Charlotte looked up at him with her blue eyes glinting pink.

"Pink again?" Theodore asked with a small smile. "Do you know what I would give to know what that color meant?" Charlotte shook her head as a warm blush made its way up her neck and onto her cheeks. Theodore laughed and led her down to dinner with a smile on his face. Charlotte turned around to look at Bracken and Blair and they both had a smile on their faces. She blew them a kiss and followed Theodore to dinner.

"So. Tell me about your family," Charlotte said, looking into Theodore's golden eyes.

"Well, my mum and dad are just like any other mum and dad I guess. Plus I have a younger brother that's just annoying. That's about it. You?" Theodore looked at Charlotte with expectant eyes, while Charlotte looked away. She couldn't meet his eyes because that would mean letting go of something that she'd been taught to hold onto since birth. Being proud of her family. If she told him the crap that her mum had pulled on the rest of the wizarding community, she would be letting go of something that she had held onto for her life. "Didn't you hear me? I asked you what your family was like."

"I heard you," she said stubbornly. Theodore's eyes widened at the harshness in her voice. "I'm sorry. My dad left my mum as soon as he found out that she was pregnant. My mum is a death eater, and a damn good one at that. She has tried to drill in pride at our family's line. Basically I was raised by the Weasleys because my mum goes to the Ministry early in the morning and doesn't come home until late at night, if she comes home at all. So, really, I've learned to take care of myself. How does that sound for 'my family is like any other'?" Charlotte's eyes hardened and glinted gray with determination.

Whatever she did, she was going to get Theodore to understand that she was unlike any other girl that he had the fortune to meet. She stared at the oak doors of the Great Hall. She sighed and pushed them open, without meeting Theodore's stare once. She heard soft footfalls behind them and turned to see Malfoy and Blaise walking down the hall. Malfoy gave her a tight smile while Blaise disregarded her completely. She followed them to the Gryffindor table. "Why are you following us, Hollister?" Malfoy sneered.

"Since when do you call me Hollister and since when do you care if I follow you?" Charlotte bit back. "Did I _do _something to piss you off, _Draco_?"

"No. Get off my ass if you don't mind," he said harshly. Charlotte locked her jaw and stared at him with hardened eyes of defiance. She tried not to flinch when his eyes hardened also. She couldn't believe that he could get angry with her a second time. She glared at him for a few more seconds, but then looked at Blaise with pleading eyes.

"Blaise. What did I do wrong? Please tell me!" She looked him over but he continued to disregard her. "Blaise. Please!" She knew that she was basically whining, but she didn't care. She wanted to know what she did wrong. "Will you let me in on this plan that you have?"

"Sure," Malfoy said with a small smile. "We are going to go over to the Gryffindor table and get Potter and Weasley into a Wizard Duel." Charlotte's eyes widened with disbelief.

"A Wizard Duel?! Are you completely mental? The most you could do to them is send sparks! What is the point of it?!" Charlotte practically shrieked. She sat down at the Slytherin table for something to eat.

"The point is to get them both in trouble!" Malfoy said as though she were the one that was mental. Charlotte nodded to signify that she understood. The three of them stood up and sidled to the Gryffindor table. They stood behind Potter and Ron with grim expressions on their faces.

"What the hell do you want Malfoy? Come to take something else from me?" Ron said with a grim smile.

"I would love to challenge you two to a Wizard Duel!" Malfoy said with a sneer. Ron's eyes widened and Harry just stared at the two of them with a dumb expression on his face. "My second is Charlotte!" Charlotte stared at him with a look of utter disbelief. She hadn't expected him to pick her so fast.

"My second is Harry, of course!" Ron said quickly. Malfoy nodded and looked at Charlotte as if daring her to contradict anything that they were saying.

"We'll meet at the trophy cases at midnight!" Malfoy whispered as the three of them sidled back to the Slytherin table. Charlotte grabbed onto Malfoy's shoulder and turned him around forcibly.

"What do you mean 'meet at the trophy cases at midnight'?" Charlotte basically hissed. "If we don't get expelled because of traipsing around the castle after curfew than you can be damn well sure that we'll get expelled because of the Wizard Duel!" Malfoy turned to look at her, his gray eyes smiling.

"We won't be getting caught!" he basically laughed. Charlotte's brow furrowed as she sat down next to Bracken and Blair with a bemused half grin on her lips. Bracken and Blair looked at her with bemused expressions on their faces. Charlotte shook her head and looked back at Malfoy.

CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:CH:

_What are we? (Whatchya wanna be)  
Everything! (That you wanna be)  
All I need (Right in front of me)  
I've know before_

Would you come my way  
Or did you burn out to the end  
Would you come my way  
Should have listened when you called my name

Would you come my way  
Or did you burn out to the end  
Would you come my way  
Should have listened when you called my name  
Should have listened when you called my name  
Should have listened when you called my name

Draco was sitting in the common room with Blaise and Theodore at his side. They were waiting for Charlotte to come down from the girl's dormitories. Draco had yet to tell her that they weren't going anywhere. She finally descended the staircase, dressed with her dark hair pulled back and her wand held out in front of her. "I'm ready!" she said with a slight smile.

"Obviously," Draco replied with a more evident smile playing on his lips. Charlotte looked around at the three boys with confusion playing on her face.

"Why are these two coming? I thought it was just me and you," she finally spoke out loud. But she shrugged all the same and finally gasped when his cold hands enclosed around her warm wrist. "What?"

"We're not going anywhere!" Draco explained with cold sarcasm. "We're staying here, in the warmth of our common room!"

"What? But you said that we—"Charlotte's eyes widened and glinted silver with recognition. "Now I get what you said about getting them into trouble!" Draco nodded slowly and clapped his hands.

"Good job my young grasshopper. Now, you stay here until I'm sure that you're not leaving!"

"I won't leave, Malfoy. I know where my allegiances lie!"

"Yeah? And where's that? Wherever Weasley's lie?"

"No! I _can_ make my own decisions. Unlike you, who has to follow what you think everyone would want you to do!" Charlotte was a good arguer; he had to give her that. She had years of practice, obviously and she didn't relent.

"Good for you Hollister. Glad to know that you don't let people control your lives!"

"Of course I don't! A life you don't live is still lost!" she retorted with feeling. Draco's eyes widened as he let that sink in.

"That was deep, Hollister. Come up with that yourself or did you have help from a fortune cookie?"

"I don't read fortune cookies thank you very much!"

"Good for you! Now I know at least one person that doesn't!"

"What? And you do?"

"I never said that! All I said was that I know one person that doesn't!"

"That is such a lie!"

"No it is not!" Draco looked around the room and saw that he and Charlotte were the only ones left in the room. Blaise and Theodore had obviously gone to bed, leaving Charlotte and him to fight amongst themselves. "I'm going to bed. Have fun arguing with yourself!" He turned away from her and walked up the stairs to the boy's dormitory.

He watched from the top of the stairs as Charlotte made her way up the staircase with a confused expression on her face. He smiled quietly to himself and crawled into his bed.

:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM:DM

A/N so there you have it. Draco is jealous and Theodore knows how to make people mad.


End file.
